Legislative Updates & Alerts

NCSBA Legislative Update – September 15, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – September 15, 2023

The heat wave has finally broken, but tempers continue to flare within the General Assembly as North Carolina finds itself more than two months overdue in passing a state budget.

Although legislative leaders planned for budget votes this week, no action was taken. At the heart of this delay lies the divisive issue of legalizing brick-and-mortar casinos in four economically challenged counties. The Senate sees the potential revenue from legalized casinos as the funding source to pay for their tax cuts which were deeper than what the House proposed. As such, President Pro-Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) supports incorporating this targeted casino legalization into the budget; however, House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) contends there aren’t sufficient Republican votes within his chamber to pass a budget inclusive of casino legalization.

This week, the House Republican Caucus met for nearly four hours discussing the casino provisions behind closed doors but could not get a majority of its members on board. Nevertheless, both chambers are set to convene in the coming week. Amidst the fiery debates between the two chambers over the casino issue, some legislative activity did manage to take place during the week.

Education Bills Passed By The Senate

HB 432: Principal Licensure Changes (primary sponsors: Representatives David Willis, R-Union; Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke; Tricia Cotham, D-Mecklenburg; John Torbett, R-Gaston)

  • Passed Senate by a 47-0 vote, sent back to House for concurrence
  • Updates principal licensure requirements
  • Eliminates the requirement that principals must have at least four years of classroom teaching experience and instead requires principals to have at least four years of experience as a “licensed professional educator”
  • Requires the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission to develop a portfolio-based assessment for prospective principals
  • Requires an internship of at least 500 hours rather than a yearlong internship

Local Conference Committee Reports With Votes

HB 5: Local Omnibus Changes

  • Bill previously titled Fuquay-Varina/Clemmons Deannexations
  • Section 15 of new bill impacts Buncombe County and Asheville City school districts
    • Changes effective dates for establishing new electoral districts for Buncombe County Board of Education as outlined in HB 66/S.L. 2023-72.
      • The old date was February 1, 2024 and the new date is June 30, 2024
    • Authorizes the Buncombe County Board of Education and the Asheville City Board of Education to jointly study the feasibility of a merger between those two boards
  • Passed second reading in the Senate by a 34-10 vote, final vote calendared for Tuesday September 19, with a final House vote expected the same day

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

September 11, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include

Congress Has Yet To Pass A Budget As Shutdown Deadline Approaches: Both chambers of Congress are back from their August recess. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed all 12 of its spending bills before the recess with bipartisan support. The House has only approved one FY 2024 spending bill on the floor—the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs package—and only a handful have won approval from the full committee. The spending bills must be passed by both chambers before the start of the new federal fiscal year on October 1 – something that is looking increasingly unlikely.

Education Department Has New Kindergarten Initiative: The U.S. Department of Education has launched the Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community, “a multi-state effort to make kindergarten a transformational experience at the start of each student’s formal education journey,” the press release states. The department will invite state education agencies and local education agencies to participate in a “community of practice” where they can learn from their peers, receive technical assistance, and share best practices to enhance the kindergarten experience including the transitions into kindergarten and 1st  grade.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News

News & Observer: NC Teachers and Workers Are ‘Mad and Frustrated’ As GOP Casino Fight Delays Raises
WUNC: As State Budget Negotiations Stall, Understaffed Schools Await Funding
WUNC: Casino Disagreement Leaves NC Without Budget As Republicans Trade Barbs
WRAL: Democrats Slam Republicans Over Proposed Casinos and Budget Delay
WRAL: Budget Talks At An Impasse: What Happens Next
News & Observer: NC Schools Have More Than 3,500 Teaching Vacancies. How Can The State Get More Teachers?
WFDD: Guilford County Board of Education Hires Legal Counsel To Handle Dispute Over District 3 Seat
WFAE: Can Joy Help Boost Test Scores? CMS Leaders Say Yes
WFAE: CMS Board Considers New Goals For Reading, Math, Graduating With a Plan
WUNC: Republican Lawmakers in NC Tap Breaks On Confidential Voting Records Bill
WRAL: NC Republicans Delay Vote On Key Election Bill
Carolina Journal: NC Pre-K Centers To Gain $8 Million From Government Programs
EdNC: Mental Health, School Safety and More: Student Insights At the Start Of A New Year
Best NC: Study On Teacher Pay In North Carolina

National News

K-12 Dive: Public Engagement Is A Rising Priority In School Communications
Education Week: Older Students Running Out of Time For Academic Recovery
Washington Post: A Program To Cut School Suspensions In Chicago Worked Very, Very Well. Here’s How

There are no education-related committee meetings scheduled at this time.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – September 15, 2023
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NCSBA Legislative Update – September 8, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – September 8, 2023

As school bells chime, we find ourselves on the cusp of autumn, and hopefully the eagerly anticipated State budget is not far behind. Although the Senate remained relatively inactive this week, House members briefly convened for a handful of votes on Tuesday. During that time, Speaker Moore announced that he intends to hold votes on the State budget next week.

While Jones Street may have seen limited action, the NC State Board of Education (Board) made significant strides to compensate. Notable highlights include a policy adjustment for charter school funding review and a comprehensive presentation by Superintendent Truitt on school testing data and post-pandemic learning loss recovery. Both of these subjects garnered extensive media coverage, and we’ve provided a summarized account of the Board meeting below.

State Board of Education Meeting

The State Board of Education met Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The Board approved the following:

  • New SBE Policy on Funding and Accountability for Charter Schools (CHTR-022)
  • Student Test Performance Results for the 2022-23 School Year
  • Report on Cohort Graduation Rate for the 2022-23 School Year
  • Annual Required Reports To The General Assembly
  • Updated Policies for the Schools for Deaf and Blind (2023-24 School Year)
  • Interscholastic Athletics Rules
  • Contracts over $500,000
  • Allotment Policy Manual Revisions (ALOT-003)
  • Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Competitive Summer Enhancement Grant Program

New SBE Policy on Funding and Accountability for Charter Schools (CHTR-022): After extensive discussion, the State Board approved a new policy addressing funding and accountability for Charter Schools with an eight to three vote. Under the new policy, the Charter School Review Board, recently established by the NC General Assembly (S.L. 2023-110), must submit all approved applications and renewals for charter schools to the State Board. The State Board will then review those documents to ensure the schools are compliant with state and federal funding requirements.

The policy also provides that the State Board may request regular reports on charter school finance, legal compliance, and student performance consistent with constitutional and statutory duties.

For more details, you can review the full policy document here and an accompanying article here.

Student Test Performance Results for the 2022-23 School Year: The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released student test results for the 2022-23 school year, along with corresponding letter grades for schools. Notably, North Carolina students are making steady strides in reclaiming the educational ground lost due to the pandemic, with improvements evident across virtually all grade levels, subject areas, and demographic subgroups. While the scores have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, there is clear progress.  More than one in four of the State’s 2,598 public schools earned a School Performance Grade of an A or B; with nearly two out of every three receiving a C or better.

For more details, you can review the presentation on the 2022-23 Accountability Reports here and access the full report here. For DPI’s press release, click here.

Report on Cohort Graduation Rate for the 2022-23 School Year: The Board approved a report on the cohort graduation rate report for the 2022-23 school year, which provides insights into the percentage of students within the adjusted cohort who successfully graduate with a regular high school diploma within a four-year timeframe. You can access the full report by clicking here.

Annual Required Reports to the General Assembly: The Board approved the following annual reports that are required to be submitted to the General Assembly:

(1) Educational Performance of Children with Disabilities and Implementation of Policies to Improve Performance Outcomes for Students with Disabilities (see report here); (2) Career and College-Ready Graduate Program (see presentation here and report here); (3) Computer Science Participation in Schools (see report here); (4) 2022-23 Fifth Grade Career Awareness Program (see presentation here and report here); (5) Statewide Trends in Student Digital Learning Access (see report here); (6) Statewide summary of the Remote Instruction Plans submitted to DPI for the 2022-23 school year (see report here); (7) Annual census of all children with disabilities residing in the state (see report here); (8) Professional Educator Preparation Standards Commission 2022-23 Annual Report (see presentation here and report here); (9) New student data, whether aggregate data, de-identified data, or personally identifiable student data, included or proposed for inclusion in the student data system for the current school year and changes to existing data collections for the student data system required for any reason (see report here); and(10) State Agency Mobile Device data (see report here).

Updated Policies for the Schools for Deaf and Blind (2023-24 School Year): This action follows the Board’s previous review of policies setting forth admission criteria and procedures. Legal counsel recommended and the Board approved changes to the policy manual. One policy is to be repealed and the process to remove outdated administrative rules is initiated. In addition, the Board has approved policy ESDB–030, which sets forth admissions criteria and procedures for both schools and policy ESDB–031, which defines coverage areas for the eastern and western schools.

Interscholastic Athletics Rules: The Board approved updated modifications to eligibility requirements for participation in interscholastic athletics. The Board also approved modifications  to the reporting requirements for violations of interscholastic athletic rules and penalty rules for interscholastic athletics.

Contracts over $500,000:  The Board approved four contracts each for services involving more than $500,000 in funds.  The Board received reports and approved the following: “Identity Automation Contract” renewal; a contract with UNC at Chapel Hill’s NC Institute for Public Health for specialized instruction; an IES grant assessing long-term impacts of school extension programs on student re-engagement; and a leadership training and support program for low performing schools.

Allotment Policy Manual Revisions (ALOT-003): The Division of School Business proposed changes to the NC Public Schools Allotment Policy Manual which addresses the following: (1) funding for the state school bus replacement program; (2) federal grant programs used to support improvement of health, academic achievement, and well-being of students; and (3) COVID-19 funds used for employing or contracting with specialized instructional support personnel to provide physical and mental health support services for students. To access the proposed changes, click here.

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Competitive Summer Enhancement Grant Program: The Board approved using the $1.4 million supplemental 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grant funds awarded under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to fund a CCLC Competitive Summer Enhancement Grant Program for those organizations who are currently receiving these funds. The grant program will fund summer intensive programs designed to improve students’ access to innovative learning strategies focused on reducing chronic absenteeism and increasing student engagement. The RFP will be released Monday, September 11, with technical assistance sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. The deadline to submit the application is October 31st. Click here for more information. See the application here and the RFP here.

The Board also approved the following items that were reviewed at last month’s meeting:

  • State Summary of Academic Gains in Restart Schools and Research Study: Learning Loss and Recovery in Restart Schools (December 2022 Annual Report)
  • NC Public School Employees Benefit and Employment Policies (BENF-001)
  • Licensure Renewal Requirements (LICN-005)

State Summary of Academic Gains in Restart Schools and Research Study: Learning Loss and Recovery in Restart Schools (December 2022 Annual Report) – The Board approved a report highlighting the performance of 159 schools approved by the State Board for Restart. Among these schools, 21 surpassed expectations in terms of academic gains, while 95 met expectations, and 32 fell short of meeting expectations. For a deeper dive into the specifics, please click here.

NC Public School Employees Benefits and Employment Policy Manual (BENF-001): The Board approved provisions pertaining to eligibility for paid parental leave (S.L. 2023-14) and the use of personal leave. In response to concerns expressed by board members during last month’s discussions, legal staff confirmed that part-time employees are entitled to either eight or four weeks of leave, with their salary adjusted proportionally based on the percentage of a full-time position they occupy.  Legal staff also reported that the language on use of personal leave reflects statutory requirements. Teachers will not be docked pay if they give a reason for the request of personal leave. If no substitute is hired for a teacher, then any substitute deduction will be refunded to the teacher. For more details, see presentation on the paid parental leave policy here.  For changes to the Benefits and Employment Policy Manual, click here.

Licensure Renewal Requirements Policy Amendment (LICN-005): The Board approved updated terminology to clarify revisions to the renewal requirements for expired Continuing Professional License (CPL) reviewed last month. Those with expired CPLs will be eligible for a three-year professional license with a five-year renewal cycle upon completion of eight renewal credits during the three-year period. The lifetime license will replace the retirement license. For more details, click here.  To access the report from last month, click here.

This month, the Board also received these reports:

  • State Superintendent’s Report
  • Standards Revision Updates
  • North Carolina Personalized Assessment Tool Update (NCPAT)
  • Alternative Schools’ Accountability Model Options
  • Recommendations of the Whole Child NC Advisory Committee
  • Annual Report on Full Time Equivalency

 State Superintendent’s Report:  Superintendent Truitt’s report included a memo sent to superintendents in August on implementation of the new Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation (S.L. 2023-106). See memo here. Truitt indicated the department is advocating for the legislature to give schools until January to implement the legislation. She hopes this will appear in the budget bill and that the State Board will be able to discuss this next month. Local board of education representative Henry Mercer raised his concern about the time required for teachers to obtain permission to treat certain medical emergencies under the legislation. Chairman Davis asked about and Superintendent Truitt indicated funding should be available through the center for safer schools for the threat assessment teams schools are required to have in the recent legislative mandate.  The Superintendent praised the improved test scores in kindergarten and elementary reading in Halifax County Schools.

Standards Revision Updates:  DPI staff provided the monthly update on the progress of revising standards for K-12 Healthful Living, Arts, Guidance, and World Language standards. Staff reported that surveys on Healthful Living will close September 18, 2023. Surveys on Guidance close September 10. The Standards Writing Team for Arts met July 17th and is completing the first draft of standards. Surveys on World Language standards will be out soon. See full report here.

North Carolina Personalized Assessment Tool Update (NCPAT):  As authorized by the U. S. Department of Education and at the direction of the legislature in 2019, DPI is developing the North Carolina Personalized Assessment Tool (NCPAT) with the potential of statewide implementation for grades 4 and 7 in the 2023–24 school year. The proposed NCPAT provides for state mandated assessments to be administered in multiple short testing events throughout the school year. DPI reports that this through-grade component provides a reliable connection between student performance and classroom activity throughout the year. Staff emphasized that this is comparable to the current assessment, and they have the same expectations. The benefit is that teachers will be able to assess students along the way to see where they are and adjust as needed to promote learning. Staff indicated that it will be a local decision whether a PSU wants to use the multi-stage assessment. DPI staff emphasized this will improve the testing experience for students and allow PSUs to obtain a more balanced assessment. DPI will share plans with the state October 6 and plans to go forward with implementation this year. The full report is here.

Alternative Schools’ Accountability Model Options:  DPI reviewed the modified accountability system alternatives selected in several districts for this school year. The requests will be back for State Board approval in October. See selections here.

Recommendations of the Whole Child NC Advisory Committee:  In September 2015, the State Board of Education (SBE) in policy ADVS-009 established the council, now renamed the Whole Child NC Advisory Council. This advisory council meets regularly to recommend how to best facilitate access for all public school children to receive the opportunity for a sound, basic education. The council met five times in 2022-23 to identify priorities for the year ahead and beyond. New chair, Kella Hatcher, JD, who is also the Executive Director of NC Child Fatality Task Force, and other members of the council spoke to the importance of specialized instructional support personnel such as school counselors, social workers, nurses, and psychologists (SISP). The report provided information on the mental health of NC High School Students. Committee priorities include endorsing funding requests for SISP and expanding school-based access to Health Services. Superintendent Truitt noted that parental engagement and having enough credentialed candidates are key. Henry Mercer, the local board advisor, shared about a program in his district that has been successful in getting a number of students  back in school. See report here.

Annual Report on Full Time Equivalency:  This annual report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee provides data disaggregated by enrollment in courses offered by the public school units and those offered through other dual enrollment and joint programs, including North Carolina Virtual Public School, institutions of higher education, and nonpublic schools. See presentation here.

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

September 5, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include

Department of Education Convenes Educator Diversity Meetings: The US Department of Education is hosting meetings in Denver, CO to focus on educator diversity. In October, the Department will bring together leaders in effective educator development to discuss key issues related to promoting educator diversity. Two events are taking place; the Teach to Lead Summit and the Conference on Equity In Opportunity. Both are designed to lift effective practices and obtain additional insights from participating educators and organizations about how to elevate educator diversity in our nation’s schools. Click here for more information.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News

WNCN: ‘The Epicenter of Economic Growth’: Cooper Visits Chatham County School To Deliver School Supplies, Encourage Education
News & Observer: Test Results Are In For the 2022-23 School Year. See How Every NC Public School Fared
News & Observer: NC Board Lost the Power To Approve Charter Schools. So Now It Wants to Control Funding
News & Observer: NC Schools Want Delay In Enacting ‘Parents Bill of Rights.’ Will They Get More Time?
News & Observer: Why Are So Many Schools Closing Because Of the Heat. What’s Behind All the AC Problems?
North State Journal: Proposed State Board of Education Policy Uses Funding To Circumvent Charter Review Board
North State Journal: Cooper Announces $1M for Bus Driver Training
North State Journal: NC’s Second-Largest School District Sues Social Media Companies
WRAL: State Board of Education Votes To Review Funding Compliance for New Charter Schools
WRAL: NC School Test Scores Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
WRAL: Is Learning Recovery Happening In North Carolina? Experts Find Reasons For Optimism – and Room For Improvement – In New Test Data
WFAE: NC Schools Inch Toward Recovery, But Disparities and Pandemic Setbacks Linger
WFAE: For CMS and Nearby Districts, NC School Data Brings Bragging Rights, Warning Signs
EdNC: State Board Adopts Charter School Funding Policy Ahead of First Meeting of Newly-Enacted Charter School Review Board
EdNC: State Board of Education Calls For Closer Look at Successful Restart Schools
EdNC: Data Released On Back To School Vacancies
EdNC: Perspective: Two Years Into Improving Reading Outcomes for North Carolina’s Students
WUNC: How Are Students Recovering Since the Pandemic Began? Latest Statewide Test Data Released
The Center Square: Superintendent, Others Criticize Late-Arriving Policy Change On Charters
NC Newsline: State Board of Education Reclaims Charter School Authority With New Policy

National News

K-12 Dive: Final Title IX Rules Likely To Be Pushed Beyond October
Associated Press: The Pandemic Widened Gaps In Reading. Can One Teacher ‘Do Something About That?’
Education Week: Every Student Needs School Supplies. But Who Pays For Them?
Education Week: How To Find (And Keep) Substitutes
Washington Post: The Heat Wave Is Shutting Schools Down Just As Kids Return To Class
New York Times: Dependence On Tech Caused ‘Staggering’ Education Inequality UN Agency Says

There are no education-related committee meetings scheduled at this time.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.orgMadison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.orgRob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org
Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – September 8, 2023
read more
NCSBA Legislative Updates – September 1, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Updates – September 1, 2023

As we begin the new school year, districts across the state are waiting on a state budget. Legislators are expected to reconvene the week of September 11th – it was the expectation of the House and Senate leadership before their two week break that the state budget would be released upon their return.

While there is no legislative action to report, the weekly update still has you covered with regard to fun stuff to read at the beach over Labor Day. Every year we publish our legislative session summaries. These summaries break down every education-related bill – both statewide and local – that has become law. The summaries will be regularly updated to include the new budget and any other education-related legislation between now and the end of session. Click here to read this year’s session summary.

The Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) federal education report is taking a break as Congress is on its annual August recess. New updates will be published after Labor Day

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
News & Observer: NC Has a School Bus Driver Shortage. Gov. Cooper Says Over $1M Is Needed To Fix It
News & Record: Guilford County School Ranked As Best Public High School In Nation
Charlotte Observer: Diocese of Charlotte Says NC Catholic School Enrollment Is Hitting New Records
Rocky Mount Telegram: State Education Superintendent Addresses Local Educators
NC Health News: NC Students Fell Behind In Required Vaccinations During the Pandemic. Some – Not All – Are Catching Up
NC Health News: As Climate Change Makes Excessive Heat More Routine, NC Schools Forced To Weigh Student, Athlete Safety
WFAE: Gov. Roy Cooper Comes To Charlotte To Address Statewide Bus Driver Shortages
WFAE: As Classes Resume In Sweltering Heat, Many Schools Lack Air Conditioning
WFAE: Schools Scramble For Scarce Teachers As Kids Stream Back to NC Classrooms
Education NC: Public Schools Promising Practices Heading Into the New School Year

National News
K-12 Dive: Voters Dissatisfied With Local School Boards
Education Week: School District’s Anti-CRT Resolution Prompts Lawsuit From Teachers and Students
Education Week: Third Grade Reading Retention: Why the Research Is Complicated

There are no committee meetings until the legislature reconvenes in mid-September.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Updates – September 1, 2023
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NCSBA Legislative Update – August 25, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – August 25, 2023

While the NC General Assembly continued its summer pause this week with no meetings or legislative sessions, budget negotiations did continue. Leadership from both chambers has indicated that they hope to achieve final passage of the state budget the week of September 11th.

In the meantime, the NCSBA Government Relations team continues to work with legislative leaders and staff on implementation issues surrounding SB 49: Parents’ Bill of Rights (SL 2023-106).

WNCN: ‘Timing Issues’ Implementing NC Parental Rights Law As School Starts

On both issues, the budget and SB49, we’ll certainly keep you updated with the latest information.

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report. The United States Congress is enjoying its annual August recess and as such, federal activity is very light.

August 21, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Federal School Safety Resources Highlighted: Four federal cabinet agencies have launched a public awareness campaign to highlight the various federal school safety resources that are available. The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice announced the campaign in a press release.

The release stated, “Through the campaign, the Administration will educate school administrators and personnel, teachers, parents and guardians, and state and local government officials about school safety resources available at SchoolSafety.gov. The goal is to advance the mission and maximize the benefits of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) by accelerating and enhancing the implementation of programs and initiatives that will help families, communities, and schools build capacity and establish and expand successful school safety strategies. The campaign is being launched for the back-to-school season to ensure schools have the tools they need to create and sustain welcoming, safe, and supportive learning environments for students and educators.”

 

 

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
News & Observer: NC Schools Must Now Follow ‘Parents Bill of Rights.” Here’s How Things Could Change
News & Observer: Wake Still Needs 300 Teachers As School Year Nears. But That’s Good News, Leaders Say
Carolina Journal: Orange County School Impact Fee Fight Appealed to NC Supreme Court
Carolina Journal: Wilson Schools Pension Spiking Ruling Could Impact Other Cases
WFAE: CMS Response To Parents Rights Bill Sparks Praise and Calls For Defiance
WFAE: Education Bills But No Budget; Plus, Back To School Message Barrage
WRAL: AAA – 47% of NC Drivers Admit to Speeding In A School Zone
WRAL: School Districts Vary On Chat GPT, From Embracing It To Suspension
Morganton News Herald: One Book Removed, One Book Stays In Catawba Schools After Heated 5-Hour Meeting
The Center Square: Lightning Rod Leaders (Rep. Cotham, Rep. Torbett) Among 19 Nationally Honored
WNCN: ‘Timing Issues’ Implementing NC Parental Rights Law As School Starts

National News
K-12 Dive: Federal Proposal Could Reshape How Districts Accommodate Pregnant Employees
Axios: Why Schools Across America Are Building Teacher Housing
Education Week: School Districts Prepare for Major Staffing Cuts As ESSR Winds Down
Education Week: 4 Day School Weeks Surge In Popularity Among American Adults

There are no committee meetings until the legislature reconvenes in mid-September.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.orgMadison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – August 25, 2023
read more
NCSBA Legislative Update – August 18, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – August 18, 2023

After a month-long interval without holding voting sessions, the NC General Assembly reconvened in Raleigh with the primary objective of overriding six of Governor Cooper’s recent vetoes this week. These override votes equaled the previous record for the highest number of overrides in a single day, a feat accomplished earlier in June. Significantly, four out of the six vetoes that were successfully overridden pertained to bills concerning K-12 education. Below, you’ll find more comprehensive details about these bills.

However, what remained unaddressed this week was the state budget, which has yet to see further progress. The leadership of both chambers has indicated that they hope to achieve final passage of the budget in mid-September.

Veto Overrides That Are Now Law

HB 219: Charter School Omnibus Act (SL 2023-107) (primary sponsors Representatives John Torbett, R-Gaston; John Bradford, R-Mecklenburg; David Willis, R-Union; and Jason Saine, R-Lincoln)

  • House voted 74 to 45 to override, Senate voted 27-18 to override
  • Prohibits any consideration of the impact to an LEA when deciding whether to grant, renew, amend, or terminate a charter
  • Removes restrictions of student enrollment growth for charters that are not low performing
  • Allows the Charter School Review Board (see, HB 618) to consider whether a low-performing charter school can increase their enrollment greater than 20%
  • Allows charter schools to admit out-of-state students and foreign exchange students if it is unable to meet its enrollment capacity with qualified in-state students
  • Allows pre-lottery admissions to charters for (i) certain preschools with agreements with the charter and (ii) children of active-duty military
  • Prohibits local boards of education from considering a student’s current or prior enrollment in a charter school in determining admissions or eligibility to any school or special program .
  • Allows counties to appropriate funds for property taxes to fund charter school capital needs.
  • Establishes a pilot program to allow Central Park Schools for Children in Durham to expand the weighted lottery to include factors to assist educationally or economically disadvantaged students, including walk zones
  • Removes a high school athletics provision that would have prohibited charter and private schools from competing in the 1A playoffs against traditional public schools
  • Click here for the latest bill summary

HB 574: Fairness in Women’s Sports Act (SL 2023-109) (primary sponsors: Representatives Jennifer Balkcom, R-Henderson; Karl Gillespie, R-Macon; Erin Pare, R-Wake; Kristen Baker, R-Cabarrus)

  • House voted to override 74-45, Senate voted to override 27-18
  • Prohibits biological male students from playing on middle school, high school, or collegiate athletics teams designated for biological female students
  • Recognizes a student’s sex solely based on the student’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth
  • Creates a civil cause of action for students who are harmed as a result of a violation of the bill or who are retaliated against for reporting violations
  • Creates a civil cause of action for public school units that suffer harm as a result of following the requirements of the bill
  • Removes restrictions on females from participating in male sports
  • Click here for an official bill summary

HB 618: Charter School Review Board (SL 2023-110) (primary sponsors: Representatives Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Tim Moore, R-Cleveland; Destin Hall, R-Caldwell; David Willis, R-Union)

  • House voted to override by 74-45, Senate voted to override 27-18
  • Similar to section 7.39 in the House Budget
  • Converts the Charter Schools Advisory Board into the Charter Schools Review Board
  • Shifts authority to approve or deny charter school applications, renewals, and revocations from the State Board of Education to a legislatively controlled (8 of 11 appointments) Review Board with a right of appeal by an applicant, charter school, or the State Superintendent to the State Board of Education
  • Changes the Superintendent of Public Instruction from a voting member to a nonvoting member
  • Click here for an official bill summary

SB 49: Parents’ Bill of Rights (SL 2023-106) (primary sponsors: Senators Amy Galey, R-Alamance; Michael Lee, R-New Hanover; Lisa Barnes, R-Nash)

  • House voted to override by 72-47, Senate voted to override by 27-18
  • Requires public school units (PSUs) to establish policies and provide information intended to promote parent involvement, strengthen parent participation, and improve student achievement
  • Many new policies apply beginning with the 2023-24 school year. However, there are serious timing issues that NCSBA is working to address
    • By the time SB 49 became law this week, thousands of students across the state  had already started the 2023-24 school year, with hundreds of thousands starting school next week, leaving no time for implementation.
    • The State Board of Education must first address certain requirements – which has not yet happened – before PSUs can develop and adopt certain policies
  • Enlists specific parental rights pertaining to their child’s education, health, privacy, and safety
  • Establishes a process and timelines regarding parental access to information about books and other instructional materials
  • Requires parental notification prior to changes in the name or pronoun used for a student in school records or by school personnel
  • Prohibits instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, and sexuality in the curriculum provided in kindergarten through fourth grade
  • Requires health practitioners, including teachers, to obtain written consent from the parent of a minor child before providing first aid treatment or emergency medical care such as an EpiPen or an AED (creates an exception for physicians) while providing a fine of up to $5,000 for violation of the provision
    • NCSBA has reached out to key legislators about this concern, but to this point no changes have come about
  • Addresses several concerns raised by NCSBA, including important technical changes and the exemption of security recordings on school transportation that would otherwise have been prohibited without parent consent
  • Click here for an official bill summary

Additional Bills That Became Law

SB 9: Local Omnibus Changes (SL 2023-112) (primary sponsors Senators Gale Adcock D-Wake, Sydney Batch D-Wake)

  • Conference Committee Report adopted by a vote of 28-17 in the Senate and 70-43 in the House
  • Clarifies process for filling vacancies on Guilford County Board of Education

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

August 14, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Education Department Announces Grant Program to Help Align Postsecondary Education Outcomes: US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the launch of a new $25 million Career Connected High School Grant program. This program will provide grants to consortia of local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and employers to pilot evidence-based strategies to increase the integration and alignment of the last two years of high school and the first two years of postsecondary education to improve postsecondary education and career outcomes for all students.

According to a US Education Department blog posting on the grant program, “Grantees can use funds for a variety of different activities based on the need of the region, including additional dual enrollment classes, covering the costs of tuition, books, supplies, and other related expenses for low-income students, tutoring, other academic supports, transportation for students to work-based learning sites, the development of new career & technical education (CTE) programs in high-growth fields like clean energy or to support teacher training and new equipment that may be needed to launch these programs.

The United States Congress is currently in the middle of their August recess and will not be back in session until after Labor Day.

 

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
Carolina Journal: Appeals Court Rules Against Wilson County School Board In Pension Spiking Dispute
North State Journal: General Assembly Overrides Latest Round of Cooper’s Vetoes
North State Journal: Foxx Reacts To Report of Chinese Money In K-12 Schools
WFAE: Back To School Safety Demands A Mix of Technology, Training, and Staff
WFAE: NC General Assembly Overrides Veto On Parents Bill of Rights
WRAL: No New State Budget Puts Schools In A Tough Spot, NC Democrats Say
News & Observer: NC Budget Delays Are Worsening Teacher Hiring Crisis, Education Leaders Warn
Charlotte Observer: Who Decides When Kids Start School? Some NC Districts Are In Open Revolt
Charlotte Observer: NC Public School Follow School Start Law, Why Not Private, Charter Ones?
News & Observer: Are Legislators OK With Public Schools Setting Their Own Start Dates? We Asked Them
Herald Sun: NC Districts Taking School Calendars Into Their Own Hands. Virginia Already Changed Its Law

National News
K-12 Dive: Schools Using Nonpunitive Approaches To Tackle Chronic Absenteeism
EdSurge: As Schools Turn To Tech for Mental Health Support, the Best Solution Might Be More Analog
Washington Post: Schools May Have a Long Way to Go to Protect Against Cyberattacks

There are no committee meetings until the legislature reconvenes in mid-September.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – August 18, 2023
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NCSBA Legislative Update – August 11, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – August 11, 2023

The summer pause for the NC General Assembly rolls on and while there wasn’t any legislative action, news was still being made. On Monday, Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland)  told reporters that final passage of the state budget will not occur until after Labor Day. According to Moore, there are still a few dozen issues left to negotiate between the two chambers.

The veto override votes that were  on the House calendar for Tuesday, August 15th have once again been rescheduled. HB219: Charter School OmnibusHB 618: Charter School Review Board, and HB 574: Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, have been pushed back one additional day to Wednesday, August 16th.

The Senate is slated to hold votes next Wednesday as well. SB 49: Parents’ Bill of Rights is still in the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate. It is unclear when the override vote will occur.

The National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate in Charlotte WFAE-FM has been reporting on the increased numbers of students attending private schools and the decrease in the number of students served by public schools.

WFAE: NC Private School Enrollment Has Grown 24% in Four Years, New Data Show
WFAE: Analysis: North Carolina’s Public School Districts Serve A Shrinking Share of School Age Kids

This reporting must be considered against the backdrop of legislative actions this session. Both the House and Senate budgets contained a massive expansion of private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Beyond the line items in the budget, the House has passed HB823: Choose Your School, Choose Your Future. That bill is now waiting to be taken up by the Senate.

More reporting by WFAE has uncovered an example of the type of fraud that is possible when voucher programs lack accountability.

WFAE: Charlotte’s Elusive Voucher School: Some Answers and Some Lingering Questions
WFAE: Charlotte Voucher School Evicted After Questions About Its Location and Founder

LEAD Training
Join NCSBA and your RESA for our new  LEAD training program! The governmental relations team will be sharing a legislative update at each session. Also planned is governance training on a topic selected by the board chairs and superintendents in the region. NCSBA President Darrell Pennell will be on hand to present the Bell Award for whole-board achievement. For agenda and registration information, click here. Feel free to attend the session convenient for you.
Monday, August 14, 2-5 p.m. | Northeast Regional Education Service Alliance
Tuesday, August 15, 8-11 a.m. | Southeast Education Alliance
Thursday, August 17, 9-12 p.m. | Sandhills Region Education Consortium
Friday, August 18, 11-2 p.m. | Southwest Education Alliance
Thursday, August 31, 8-11 a.m. | Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance
Thursday, August 31, 4:30-7 p.m. | Piedmont-Triad Education Consortium
Wednesday, September 6, 8-11 a.m. | Northwest Regional Education Service Alliance
Thursday, September 7, 11-2 p.m. | Western Regional Education Service Alliance

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

August 11, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Education Department Announces K-12 Cybersecurity Measures: The US Department of Education is taking steps to help schools shore up cybersecurity. The Department has released three K-12 Digital Infrastructure briefs, including “K-12 Digital Infrastructure Brief: Defensible and Resilient“, which was co-authored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). In addition, on Monday August 7th, the White House hosted a meeting of education, industry and advocacy groups titled: Back to School Safely: Cybersecurity Summit for K-12 Schools.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
North State Journal: State Superintendent Reports Incredible Gains In K-3 Literacy
EdNC: State Board of Education: New Reading Data, Parental Leave, and A Call To Support Public Schools
WRAL: Paid Parental Leave Rules Now In Place For 200,000 NC School Employees. Here’s What They Are
WUNC: As GOP Negotiations Drag, North Carolina Budget Not Expected Until September
WGHP: North Carolina House Again Delays Votes to Override Vetoes – and Apparently The Passage of a New State Budget
Spectrum News: North Carolina State Budget Won’t Become Law Until September, House Leader Says
News & Observer: Hundreds of Thousands of NC Students Are Chronically Absent. Why Aren’t They In School?

National News
K-12 Dive: 3 Key Best Practices From White House K-12 Cybersecurity Summit
Education Week: What’s The Purpose of Standards In Education? An Explainer

No committee meetings have been scheduled at this time.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.orgMadison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – August 11, 2023
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NCSBA Legislative Update – August 4, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – August 4, 2023

Progress is being made in the budget negotiations between the House and Senate. Last Friday, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) tweeted that significant progress on the budget has been made and that both sides have agreed upon the tax package portion. The two chambers have also agreed on raises for teachers and state employees but have not released those numbers yet. According to reporting by WNCN CBS-17, Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) is saying that the budget could be done by the week of August 13th, but Senator Berger is less optimistic due to the number of issues still to be negotiated.

The House was scheduled to meet on Monday August 7th with several veto overrides on the calendar. However, the override votes on HB219: Charter School OmnibusHB 618: Charter School Review Board, and HB 574: Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, have now been pushed back one week to Tuesday, August 15th. Neither the House nor the Senate will be holding session next week.

Meanwhile, SB 49: Parents’ Bill of Rights is still in the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate. It is unclear when the override vote will occur. It is highly likely that all four of those vetoes will be overridden when a vote is taken.

State Board of Education Monthly Meeting

The State Board of Education met remotely Wednesday and Thursday this week. The Board approved the following:

  • New Members of the Board of Governors for the NC Governor’s School
  • Eligibility Criteria, Standards, and Procedures for Admissions to the Schools for the Deaf and Blind for the 2023-2024 school year
  • Licensure Renewal Requirements Policy Amendment
  • NC Public Schools Allotment Policy Manual: ESSER II Various PRCs and Potential State PRCs Policy Amendment

Recommendations for New Members to Board of Governors for the NC Governor’s School: The State Board approved the recommended member appointments to the Board of Governors for the North Carolina Governor’s School. Further information about the newly approved members can be found here.
Eligibility Criteria, Standards, and Procedures for Admissions to the schools for the Deaf and Blind for the 2023-2024 school year: For the 2023-2024 school year, DPI approved eligibility criteria, standards, and procedures for admissions to NC School for the Deaf (NCSD), Governor Morehead School (GMS), and Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf (ENCSD). In the years following the 2023-2024 school year, the respective boards of trustees shall set the eligibility criteria, standards, and procedures for admissions for the schools. More information regarding NCSD can be found here, for GMS here, and for ENCSD can be found here.
Licensure Renewal Requirements Policy Amendment:  The Board approved revisions to the licensure renewal requirements for an expired Continuing Professional License (CPL). The revisions allow educators with an expired NC CPL to be eligible for a three-year validated professional license when the educator completes eight renewal credits during the three-year period. Following the completion of the required renewal credits, a license will be issued with a new five-year renewal cycle. Additionally, the Retirement License has been replaced by the Lifetime License. Click here for further details regarding the policy amendments.
NC Public Schools Allotment Policy Manual: ESSER II Various PRCs and Potential State PRCs Policy Amendment: The Board approved proposed changes made to the NC Public Schools Allotment Policy Manual by the Division of School Business. These changes include the expanded use of the funds for afterschool tutoring and enrichment in all tested core subjects, Math, ELA, and Science. These funds were previously constrained to Math only. Further, a new program report code (PRC) has been established for Career Technology services for credentialing activities.  Finally, additional funding provides for the incurred cost of substitute teachers employed as a result of paid parental leave. The 2022-2023 Allotment Policy Manual and details about the policy amendments can be found here.
The Board also approved several items reviewed at the meeting last month as follows:

Standard Course of Study Revision Update:  DPI staff provided the monthly update on the progress of revising standards for K-12 Healthful Living, K-12 Arts, K-12 Guidance, and K-12 World Language standards. DPI reports it has released several stakeholder surveys on healthful living standards and continues to gather data regarding the American School Counselor Association Student Mindsets and Behaviors. For the presentation see here. For the 2023 Internal Procedures Manual on the North Carolina Standard Course of Study see here.
Paid Parental Leave: In July, the Board reviewed draft temporary administrative rules to respond to legislation from the General Assembly providing paid parental leave for certain groups of public employees, including local school administrative unit employees. Since the July meeting the draft rules have been revised to clarify that the charter schools may, but are not required, to provide paid parental leave and are eligible to receive funds allocated for schools that provide said leave. The Board approved these temporary administrative rules. The temporary administrative rules may be found here. Further information on paid parental leave may be found here.
This month, the Board also received reports on the following:

  • State Superintendent’s Report
  • State Summary of Academic Gains in Restart Schools and Research Study: Learning Loss and Recovery in Restart Schools (December 2022 Annual Report)
  • Draft SBE Policies for Appointed Interim Superintendent Process and Assistance Teams
  • Approval of Six Contracts over $500,000
  • Employees Benefit and Employment Policies

State Superintendent’s Report: An assessment conducted by Amplify shows that a post-pandemic rebound of student achievement began in the 2021-2022 school year. North Carolina continues to close gaps through improvement in all grade levels and improvement across all subgroups. In kindergarten through third grade during the 2022-2023 school year, North Carolina has demonstrated a growth of the percentage of students on track (ready for core instruction) from the beginning of the school year as compared to the end of the school year that outpaced national averages.
State Summary of Academic Gains in Restart Schools and Research Study: Learning Loss and Recovery in Restart Schools (December 2022 Annual Report): The state summary provides the progress of Restart schools which are required to submit annual reports. Currently 159 schools have been approved by the Board as Restart Schools; however, at the time of the December 2022 Annual Report, 148 schools were approved Restart Schools. Of those 148 schools, 21 exceeded expectations in academic gain, 95 met expectations in overall academic gain, and 32 did not meet overall academic gain expectations. For the full report, see here. For more information on the Restart model, click here.
Draft SBE Policies for Appointed Interim Superintendent Process and Assistance Teams: DPI staff reviewed the new draft SBE policies that in conjunction with State would allow the Board to (1) appoint an interim superintendent in a local school administrative unit in limited circumstances and (2) assign an assistance team to any school that either identifies as low-performing or requests an assistance team and that the Board determines would benefit from an assistance team. For the draft  Appointed Interim Superintendent Process policy, click here. For the draft Assistance Teams policy, click here.
Approval of Six Contracts over $500,000: Six contracts for sums over $500,000 were approved by the Board. Five of these six contracts were for replacement school buses for public school units. The sixth contract approved was for speech therapy and physical therapy for students of the Governor Morehead School.
Employees Benefit and Employment Policies: The Board heard a presentation regarding changes to the N.C. Public School Employees Benefit and Employment Policies following passage by the General Assembly of legislation providing paid parental leave for certain groups of public employees, including local school administrative unit employees. One change requires teachers using personal leave days to provide a reason for the leave in order to avoid the substitute deduction, even in the event that the request for leave is made at least five days in advance. The Board indicated that what may constitute a valid reason for personal leave may be at the discretion of local boards of education.  The Board was originally scheduled to vote on these changes at the August 3rd meeting, but in order to allow time to gather information and respond to questions on the personal leave days , the action item has been moved to next month’s meeting. For the revised Benefits and Employment Policy Manual for 2023, click here.

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

July 31, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Senate Education Budget Released: The US Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved all 12 of its required appropriations bills. The passage marks the first time in five years that the committee has passed all of its appropriations before the end of July. All 12 appropriations bills received bipartisan support. The Senate is proposing a $79.6 billion budget for the Department of Education.  Click here for a press release on the budget from the committee.

Contrast that with the education spending bill passed by the House Labor, Health & Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which totaled $67.4 billion, a 15 percent reduction from this year.

One key difference in the House and Senate education spending plans is that the House essentially guts the Title I program with a $14.7 billion reduction in spending, leaving only $3.7 billion for Title 1 grants. The Senate bill provides a $175 million increase for Title I-A grants to Local Education Agencies, for a total $18.5 billion. The bill would level-fund investments in Title II efforts—those that support teachers, principals, and other educators—at $2.2 billion, while the House bill would zero out the program.

Both the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House must agree to a final budget bill by the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30th to avoid a government shutdown.

Education Department Updates State IDEA Monitoring Guidelines: The Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released updated policy guidance to ensure and strengthen the rights and protections guaranteed to children with disabilities and their families under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The guidance addresses the IDEA’s “general supervision” requirement, which requires that states monitor local educational agencies (LEAs) as required by IDEA Part B, and early intervention service (EIS) programs and providers as required by IDEA Part C to ensure children with disabilities and their families access their rights under IDEA.

The updated guidance will:

1) Provide states with accessible and actionable information necessary to identify and correct noncompliance;

2) Help ensure the rights guaranteed under the IDEA to children with disabilities and their families are protected; and

3) Reaffirm expectations across states to help ensure consistent implementation of IDEA.

 

Click here for more information.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
Carolina Journal: Private Schools Seek Three Judge Panel To Review Sanctions In Opportunity Scholarship Suit
Carolina Journal: Republicans Overtake Democrats On Trust In Public Education
EdNC: As the School Year Kicks Off, 30 Districts Experience Superintendent Turnover
WRAL: Facilities, Staffing and Safety: Local Leaders Say Some School Priorities Aren’t Reflected in NC Budget Proposals
WFAE: Charlotte Voucher School Evicted After Questions About Its Location and Founder
WFAE: North Carolina Private School Enrollment Has Grown 24% in Four Years, New Data Show
WFAE: Analysis: North Carolina’s Public School Districts Serve a Shrinking Share of School Age Kids
WFAE: School Safety Summit Touches On Threat Teams, Body Armor and Hoaxes
WFDD: A North Carolina Budget Is A Month Late, But Republicans Say They Are Closing In On a Deal

National News
K-12 Dive: Enrollment, Funding, Supply Chain Issues Throw Wrench Into School Construction Projects
Education Week: The Number of Students In Special Education Has Doubled In the Past 45 Years
Pro Publica: Chaos at the School Board – Unraveling America’s School Board Unrest

No committee meetings have been scheduled at this time.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – August 4, 2023
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NCSBA Legislative Update – July 28, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – July 28, 2023

Week two of the three-week pause at the NC General Assembly rolled on without incident. After Governor Cooper’s veto of HB219: Charter School Omnibus which we told you about last week, that bill was added to the calendar for Monday, August 7, the first day the legislature is potentially back for votes. There are other veto overrides on the calendar that day, including HB 618: Charter School Review Board, and HB 574: Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. Meanwhile, in the other chamber SB 49: Parents’ Bill of Rights is still in the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate. It is unclear when the override vote will occur. It is highly likely that all four of those vetoes will be overridden when a vote is taken.

While the legislature may have taken a brief summer break, electoral politics have not. With the 2024 primary election taking place March 5th, several members of the NC General Assembly have already announced bids for statewide office. These include:

Rachel Hunt (D-Mecklenburg)                       Lieutenant Governor
Jeffrey Elmore (R-Wilkes)                             Lieutenant Governor
Jon Hardister (R-Guilford)                             Commissioner of Labor
Wesley Harris (D-Mecklenburg)                    State Treasurer
John Bradford (R-Mecklenburg)                    State Treasurer

One of North Carolina’s top political scientists Dr. Michael Bitzer of Catawba College keeps a running list of all these candidates and potential candidacies. To view the full list, click here.

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

DPI Superintendent Truitt Testifies Before Congress On Pandemic Learning Loss: On Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing titled, “Generational Learning Loss – How Pandemic School Closures Hurt Students.” DPI Superintendent Catherine Truitt appeared before the subcommittee and spoke to DPI’s efforts to stay ahead of the curve in mitigating learning loss.

In prepared testimony Superintendent Truitt said, “When the massive influx of federal funding did come pouring into North Carolina, we were ready. My agency was able to provide local education leaders with an office dedicated to recovery and rooted in research and data. This was vital because many of our 115 school districts and more than 200 charter schools did not have the central office bandwidth or support to take on the massive exercise in planning and compliance that would be required with ESSER III.”

 

To view the entirety of Superintendent Truitt’s testimony, click here.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
EdNC: Districts and States Are ‘Own Their Own’ Ahead of Federal Funding Cliff
EdNC: Scale of Tax Cuts + Underinvestment in Public Education + Expansion of School Choice = A State of Emergency
North State Journal: Ballard Puts Senate Record On Education At Front of Lt. Governor Campaign
WFAE: NC Home-Schooling Numbers Dropped Last Year But Remain Above Pre-Pandemic Levels
WFAE: In CMS Book Battles, A Superintendent’s Plan Collides With Legislators’ Mandate
WRAL: School Bus Driver Shortage: Wake Parents Encouraged To Find Their Own Rides
NC State Board of Education: State Board Approves Revised K-12 Science Content Standards
NC Newsline: State Superintendent Catherine Truitt Discusses Learning Loss Before Congressional Committee
News & Observer: Raises for Teachers Could Come With New School Year, Even If No New Budget Is Reached
WUNC: House Speaker Tim Moore Confirms He Won’t Seek Another Term Leading the Chamber

National News
Education Week: Auditors Are On the Hunt for ESSER Fraud. 5 Things To Know
K-12 Dive: Nearly a Third of Transgender Youth Affected By School Athletic Bans
New York Times: $7200 For Every Student: Arizona’s Ultimate Experience In School Choice

No committee meetings have been scheduled at this time.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – July 28, 2023
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NCSBA Legislative Update – July 21, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – July 21, 2023

At 1:22pm this afternoon, Governor Cooper used the veto stamp for the 14th time this legislative session on HB219: Charter School Omnibus.  In his veto message for HB219, Governor Cooper said, “This bill allowing more students to attend failing charter schools risks their education and their future. The State Board of Education should continue to oversee the enrollment growth of charter schools to assure success.”

Key provisions of the final bill passed by the General Assembly include:

  • Prohibits any consideration of the impact to an LEA when deciding whether to grant, renew, amend, or terminate a charter
  • Removes restrictions of student enrollment growth for charters that are not low-performing
  • Allows SBE to consider whether a low-performing charter school can increase their enrollment greater than 20%
  • Allows charter schools to admit out-of-state students and foreign exchange students if it is unable to meet its enrollment capacity with qualified in-state students
  • Allows pre-lottery admissions to charters for (i) certain preschools with agreements with the charter and (ii) children of active-duty military
  • Prohibits local boards of education from considering a student’s current or prior enrollment in a charter school in determining admissions or eligibility to any school or special program
  • Allows counties to appropriate funds for property taxes to fund charter school capital needs
  • Establishes a pilot program to allow Central Park Schools for Children in Durham to expand the weighted lottery to include factors to assist educationally or economically disadvantaged students, including walk zones
  • Provides for conforming changes if House Bill 618 – Charter School Review Board becomes law (Veto override vote now scheduled for Monday, August 7)
  • Removes a high school athletics provision that would have prohibited charter and private schools from competing in the 1A playoffs against traditional public schools
  • Click here for the latest bill summary

Meanwhile, two blocks away, cool air coming through the air conditioning vents was the only thing circulating at the NC General Assembly this week. Both the House and the Senate held skeletal sessions with no recorded votes and there were no committee meetings. Budget negotiations between the two chambers are ongoing. Estimates as to when the budget may be completed vary from the middle of August to well after Labor Day. One of the primary points of disagreement remains the size of the tax cut.

Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) announced during Thursday’s skeletal session of the House that there will be no votes for the next two weeks. As such, two of the education-related veto override votes – HB 618: Charter School Review Board and HB 574: Fairness in Women’s Sports Act – have now been pushed back to Monday, August 7. Another vetoed bill SB49: Parents Bill of Rights has been referred to the Committee on Rules & Operations of the Senate but has not been calendared yet.

WRAL reported Thursday that SB 90, the controversial 26 page education bill we told you about last week will likely not come up again this session, per Speaker Moore. House education leaders planned to change the bill title from Searches of Student’s Person to Childrens Laws Omnibus. The bill was pulled shortly before last week’s committee meeting. One of the Education committee chairs indicated last week that he hoped to have the amended bill heard this week.
As we outlined in last Friday’s legislative update it included the following provisions:

  • Open enrollment – Districts would be forced to accept students from other districts. Charging tuition would be prohibited. In some cases, out of district students will be given priority in a school over students who live in the district.
  • Requires termination or significant pay reduction of local superintendents if five parents obtain affidavits showing their fundamental right to parent was violated.

However, as New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra was fond of saying, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” The NCSBA Governmental Relations Team will let you know if anything changes with SB90.  Click here for a copy of the amended bill and here for an official summary of it.

While the legislature is on a temporary hiatus, the wheels are still turning in other parts of state government. The Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) met last week and voted down a proposed increase in teacher licensure fees. DPI sought the increases to help pay for increased staff capacity in responding to approximately 50,000 licensure and information requests per year. The proposed increase from DPI would have raised the fee for an in-state license from $70-$85 and an out-of-state license from $100 to $115. Commission members denied recommending the increase to the State Board of Education by a 9-3 vote. Had PEPSC approved the increase, it would have gone to the State Board of Education for approval.  Click here for an article regarding the PEPSC vote.

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

July 17, 2023 Headlines From the Weekly Report Include:

Education Cuts Proceed In Proposed Spending Bill: The House Labor, Health & Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee has approved its part of the annual spending bill. The measure passed on a party-line voice vote. It provides the Department of Education with $67.4 billion in new discretionary funding — a 15 percent reduction compared to this year. K-12 spending would see drastic losses. Title I cuts would amount to a $14.7 billion reduction in spending, leaving about $3.7 billion for Title I grants. The bill would also rescind more than $10 billion in K-12 education funding that was already approved by Congress and that states and schools are expecting this fall. The proposed education budget drafted by the Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to be vastly different.

FCC Announces $200M Pilot for School Cybersecurity: Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a pilot program of $200 million to help public schools strengthen their cybersecurity efforts. The three year program will harden cyber defenses while determining the best methods to further protect libraries and schools. “With the growing number of sophisticated cyberattacks on schools and especially the rise in malicious ransomware attacks that harm our students, now is the time to take action,” said Rosenworcel.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
EdNC: PEPSC Votes Against Increasing the Cost of Teacher Licensure Fees
EdNC: Perspective – State Board Chair and Vice-Chair Share Concerns About Parents Bill of Rights Statute
Carolina Journal: Lawmakers Move Forward On Bill Requiring Students to Have a Career Development Plan
WRAL: NC’s Controversial New Education Bill Likely Won’t Be Heard This Session, Speaker Says
WFAE: Confused By School Poverty Numbers? That’s Not Surprising
WUNC: Lawmakers Stay Out of Raleigh For Another Week As Budget, Overrides Remain
News & Observer: Agreement Reached On Pay NC Speaker Says. Here’s Why Raises Still Won’t Come Soon

National News
K-12 Dive: What Does the Looming ESSER Spending Deadline Mean for Teacher Shortages?
K-12 Dive: Labor Department Approves Registered Principal Apprenticeships
Foodservice Director: What’s On Tap For School Nutrition Legislation
Washington Post: Millions of Homes. Schools May Have To Eliminate Lead Dust Under EPA Plan
Washington Post: Red-State Education Restrictions Leave Textbook Publishers In a Bind

No committee meetings have been scheduled at this time.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – July 21, 2023
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NCSBA Legislative Update – July 14, 2023

NCSBA Legislative Update – July 14, 2023

It was a relatively light week at the NC General Assembly. In the Senate, skeletal sessions were held with no recorded votes as most Senators weren’t even in Raleigh. Negotiations on a state budget are continuing. However, NCSBA has been told by budget writers that the budget is unlikely to be finalized this month.

The light legislative week didn’t provide a respite from House members trying to move forward with an extremely controversial education bill. SB 90: Searches of Student’s Person was scheduled to be heard in the House K-12 Education Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 12.

Late Tuesday evening, House Education K-12 Committee members received an amended version of the bill. It went from a one part, two paragraph bill to 16 parts and 26 pages. Provisions include:

  • Open enrollment – Districts would be forced to accept students from other districts. Charging tuition would be prohibited. In some cases, out of district students will be given priority in a school over students who live in the district.
  • Requires termination or significant pay reduction of local superintendents if five parents obtain affidavits showing their fundamental right to parent was violated.

The bill was posted to the committee website, but it was never formally introduced. The bill was pulled from the committee’s agenda shortly before the meeting started. NCSBA has learned there are efforts to bring the bill back before the committee. The timing is unclear, but it could be as soon as next week. The GR team will stay on top of this issue and will keep you updated. Click here for an official summary of the amended bill.

Just like the waves on Wrightsville Beach, the gubernatorial vetoes keep rolling in this summer. The latest bill to get the Governor’s stamp of disapproval is HB 618: Charter School Review Board. The legislation moves the charter school approval process away from the State Board of Education to a Charter School Review Board, the majority of whose appointments are controlled by the legislature.

In his veto message, Governor Cooper said, “The North Carolina Constitution clearly gives the State Board of Education oversight authority for public schools, including charter schools. This bill is a legislative power grab that turns responsibility over to a commission of political friends and extremists appointed by Republican legislators, making it more likely that faulty or failing charter schools will be allowed to operate and shortchange their students.”

The House had initially planned to conduct veto override votes on Wednesday, July 12, pertaining to multiple bills, namely  HB 618: Charter School Review Board and HB 574: Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. However, these votes were subsequently removed from the House calendar and have been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 19. Additionally, the Governor’s veto of SB 49: Parents’ Bill of Rights still remains in the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate.

Throughout this legislative session, the Governor has vetoed a total of 13 bills. Out of these 13 bills, nine have undergone a veto override vote, with all of them being successfully overridden.

Statewide Education Bills Signed by Governor Since Last Week’s Update
HB 605: School Threat Assessment Teams (primary sponsors: Representatives John Torbett, R-Gaston; Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke; Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg)

  • Established threat assessment teams in public school units (PSUs)
  • Establishes peer-to-peer counseling in PSUs
  • Clarifies that the Department of Public Instruction shall participate in the adoption of policies regarding placement and contents of school crisis kits in PSUs
  • Expands law enforcement access from only traditional public schools to all PSUs
  • Expands data collection requirements regarding school safety exercises from only traditional public schools to all PSUs
  • Click here for an official bill summary

Statewide Education Bills Vetoed by Governor Since Last Week’s Update

HB 618: Charter School Review Board (primary sponsors: Representatives Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg; Tim Moore, R-Cleveland; Destin Hall, R-Caldwell; David Willis, R-Union)

  • Similar to section 7.39 in the House Budget
  • Converts the Charter Schools Advisory Board into the Charter Schools Review Board
  • Shifts authority to approve or deny charters from the State Board of Education to a legislatively controlled (8 of 11 appointments) Review Board with a right of appeal by an applicant, charter school, or the State Superintendent to the State Board of Education
  • Changes the Superintendent of Public Instruction from a voting member to a nonvoting member
  • Click here for an official bill summary

Statewide Education Bills Sent to Governor

HB 219: Charter School Omnibus Act (primary sponsors Representatives John Torbett, R-Gaston; John Bradford, R-Mecklenburg; David Willis, R-Union; and Jason Saine, R-Lincoln)

  • House voted to concur 61-41 with Senate changes
  • Prohibits any consideration of the impact to an LEA when deciding whether to grant, renew, amend, or terminate a charter
  • Removes restrictions of student enrollment growth for charters that are not low-performing
  • Allows SBE to consider whether a low-performing charter school can increase their enrollment greater than 20%
  • Allows charter schools to admit out-of-state students and foreign exchange students if it is unable to meet its enrollment capacity with qualified in-state students
  • Allows pre-lottery admissions to charters for (i) certain preschools with agreements with the charter and (ii) children of active-duty military
  • Prohibits local boards of education from considering a student’s current or prior enrollment in a charter school in determining admissions or eligibility to any school or special program .
  • Allows counties to appropriate funds for property taxes to fund charter school capital needs.
  • Amended in the Senate to include:
  • Establishes a pilot program to allow Central Park Schools for Children in Durham to expand the weighted lottery to include factors to assist educationally or economically disadvantaged students, including walk zones
  • Provides for conforming changes if House Bill 618 – Charter School Review Board becomes law
  • Removes a high school athletics provision that would have prohibited charter and private schools from competing in the 1A playoffs against traditional public schools
  • Click here for the latest bill summary

Bills Passed By House Committees

SB 193: Career Development Plans (primary sponsors: Senators Amy Galey, R-Alamance; Michael Lee, R-New Hanover)

  • Passed by Education K-12 Committee
  • Requires middle and high school students to complete career development plans by the end of 7th grade and revise those plans by the end of 10th grade
  • Requires DPI to study the creation of individual graduation plans for students
  • Requires the State Board of Education to establish a pilot with at least 20 LEAs during the 2023-24 school year with a statewide rollout in 2024-25
  • Click here for an official bill summary

The following is the Consortium of State School Boards Association’s (COSSBA) most recent federal education report.

July 10, 2023 Weekly Report

USDA Provides $1.3 Billion For School Meals: The US Department of Agriculture is providing $1.3 billion to states  for the purchase of domestic foods to be distributed to schools. The additional funding is needed to address elevated food and labor costs that will continue to affect school meal programs into the 2023-24 school year, when schools will lose the added, temporary financial support Congress had authorized for the 2022-23 school year in the bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022. North Carolina’s portion of that funding is $35.2 million.

The following are recent news articles, reports, and press releases on state and national education-related issues.

State News
EdNC: NC School Superintendents Association Announces Leadership Awards
North State Journal: Saine Talks Long Session, Biggest Bills and Keeping It Running
WRAL: New NC School Bill Would Give Parents More Power To Challenge School Leaders’ Choices
WRAL: Bill To OK Tax Money For Charter School Construction Clears NC Legislature
NC Newsline: July Surprise. GOP Lawmakers Unveil Sweeping Bill To Remake Public Education in NC

National News
K-12 Dive: FCC Chair Proposes $200M Investment To Boost K-12 Cybersecurity
K-12 Dive: Students Need Over 4 Months Of Extra Learning To Return To Pre-Pandemic Math, Reading Achievement
Medicaid.Gov: CMS Launches School Based Services Technical Assistance Center
New York Times: US Students Progress Stagnated Last School Year Study Finds
Washington Post: How To Fix Damage Done To Schools By Federal School Reform Laws

No education-related committee meetings have been scheduled at this time.
Bruce Mildwurf
Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
bmildwurf@ncsba.org

Madison Skeens
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
mskeens@ncsba.org

Rob Black
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
NC School Boards Association
rblack@ncsba.org

Christina DavoileNCSBA Legislative Update – July 14, 2023
read more